Self-winding watch



Dec. 10, 1963 R. PCLO SELF-WINDING WATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22. 1961 FIG. 1

[kw.l0;l963 R.POLO

SELF-WINDING WATCH 5 Sheets Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1961 Dec. 10, 1963 I R. POLO 3,113,416

SELF-WINDING WATCH Filed March 22, 1961 t 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG] 3,113,416 SELF-WWDING WATCH Raymond Polo, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, assignor to Fahriques Movado, La Qhaux-de-Fonds, Switzer land, a Swissfirm Filed Mar. 22, 1951, Ser. N 97,533 Claims priority, application Switzerland Mar. 30, 196i 2 Claims. (Cl. 58-82) The invention relates generally to self-winding watches and more particularly to a time setting device therein.

Selflwinding watches operated by an oscillating weight are already known wherein the gearing operatively connecting the oscillating weight with the ratchet wheel rigid with the barrel is entirely carried revolvably between the pillar plate and the surface of the bridges. In such structures, it has been attempted to make the best use possible of the available space in order to obtain a movement as small and chiefly as fiat as possible.

My invention has for its object the provision of an improved winding device for a time-piece of the self-winding type. In the time-piece according to my invention, the winding gear is fitted at least partly inside an independent housing mounted removably inside the movement cage.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In said drawings,

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a watch movement of the self-winding type in which the arrangement of radially meshing gears is illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a reduced diagrammatic plan view showing ordinary wheel trains of FIG. 1 connecting the' driving barrel to the escape gear. 7

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section of FIG. 2 showing the relative axial positions and radial extent of the pillar plate, the train wheel bridge and a bar secured to the pillar plate and spaced axially therefrom.

FIG. 4 is a reduced diagrammatical plan view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the wheel trains of FIG. 1 of the self winding mechanism connecting the pinion of the eccentric weight to the driving barrel.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-section of FIG. 4 showing the relative axial position and radial extent of the pillar plate, a part of interconnected superposed bridges, and the bar of PEG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of FIG. 1 through line VIVI of FIG. 1, showing the position of a known winding device relative to the gear trains and bridges of FIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial cross-section of FIG. 1 showing a part of FIG. 6 in which the invention is incorporated.

The watch illustrated includes a barrel 1 fitted between the pillar plate 8 and the barrel bridge 9; said barrel drives the large driving wheel 2 constituted by the pinion 2a and the wheel 2b; the latter gear drives the third gear 3 which includes a pinion 3a and a wheel 3b, said third wheel 3!) drives in its turn the sweep seconds gear 4 including a pinion 4a and a wheel 4b. Lastly the sweep seconds wheel 4b drives the escape gear 5 including a pinion 5a and a wheel 5!) which latter cooperates with the pallet fork 6 cooperating in its turn with the balance wheel '7. ll designates the balance cock. The two gears 2 and 3, carrying the large driving and third wheels are fitted between the pillar plate 8 and the train wheel bridge ill. The sweep seconds gear 4 and escape gear 5 above which the train wheels 2 and 3 described hereinabove are located, are fitted between the pillar plate 8 and a bar 12 secured to the latter and under which the wheel 3b of the third gear 3 also extends.

The self-winding means for the barrel are carried inside an independent housing which includes two superposed interconnected bridges I3 and 14 screwed removably to nited. Stat Pa efl Q 7 BJlBAih V Patented Detail), I963 each other by means of two screws shown in FIG. 4, and bridge 13 to the pillar plate with two other screws. The lower bridge 13 extends laterally slightly beyond the bridge 14 over the location of the sweep seconds wheel.

The screws I311 and 1312 (FIG. 4) fix the bridge 13 to the plate and the'screws 14a and 14b fix the bridge 14 to the bridge 13. There is secured to the overhanging lateral extension of the bridge 13 and preferably coaxially with the sweep seconds wheel, a spindle 15, around which at least onecylindric jewel 16 fixed to the hub 17 of the oscillating weight may revolve freely. The oscillating weight includes a radial arm 18 and an eccentric weight 19. 2t) designates a gib holding the hub 17 at the desired height. As shown in FIG. 6 in cross-section through the legs, U-shaped gib 20 is a well known constituent part of t a watch and is mounted on the frame thereof. The hub 17 carries teeth 21 meshing with the pinion 22 forming the first gear of the barrel-winding train and controlling in its turn a reversing gear 23 which need not be de scribed with further detail and which provides for the winding of the barrel for both directions of oscillation of the oscillating weight. The reversing gear 23 controls two gears 24 and 25. The pinion 25b of the gear 25 meshes with the intermediate wheel 25a which in turn meshes with the usual winding ratchet wheel Ia mounted on the squared portion of the barrel arbor 1b, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Of course, in accordance with a modification which is not illustrated, the spindle 15 may be shifted laterally with reference to the axis of the sweep seconds gear.

The time indicating means arranged underneath the sweep seconds wheel 4 include a sleeve 26 secured to p the pillar plate 8 and inside which is revolvably mounted the spindle 27 carrying the sweep seconds hand and gear. Round said sleeve 26 may revolve freely the cannon pinion 28 round which the hour wheel 29 revolves in its turn. 31 is a gear, the pinion 31a of which meshes with the hour wheel 29 while its wheel 31b rigid with said pinion meshes'with the cannon pinion 28 and with the pinion 32 fitted with slight friction over the spindle of the large driving gear 2.

33 designates the time setting stem the axis of which extends in parallelism with the pillar plate; said stem is provided at its inner end with a pinion 34 adapted to act through the intermediate gears 35 and 36 on the pinion 32; 8a designates a small bridge secured to the pillar plate.

According to the invention as illustrated in FIG. 7,

' the time-setting stem at extending axially through a sleeve 1d replacing the spindle l5 and carried by the bridge 13 terminates above the small bar 12 with a bevel pinion 41. The latter is adapted when the stem 40 is drawn outwardly to mesh with the bevel wheel 42 engaging in its turn the bevel wheel 43 which is rigid with a cylindrical pinion 44 coaxial therewith; said pinion 44 meshes with a wheel 45 meshing in its turn with the cannon pinion 28.

When the pinion ii meshes with the wheel 42, it is sufficient to make the stem 46 rotate whereby the time is set by making the cannon pinion 28 and consequently the hour wheel 29 turn by the desired amount. As clearly apparent, the gears 42, 43 andd i are fitted entirely on the lower surface of the bridge 13 of the housing of the winding gear. Upon removal of said housing, these different gears are also removed therewith. The movement according to the invention shows the advantage of being extremely flat by reason of the relative location of its different parts. Furthermore, the winding-means, to wit the winding train together with the winding mass form a single interchangeable unit which furthers thus the overhauling and the repair of the watch.

What I claim is:

1. In a self-winding Watch, an improved combination of a watch movement comprising a barrel, a balance wheel, time indicating wheels and a driving train including an escape gear and a sweep seconds gear coaxial with the time indicating wheels, an oscillating weight, a Winding train of gears controlled by said oscillating weight and operatively connected with the barrel, and housing means including a pillar plate and bridges, in which said movement is carried, and over which the oscillating weight extends, said bridges being variously spaced above the pillar plate and removably secured thereto, a time setting stem extending perpendicularly to, and independently of, the watch movement along the axis of the oscillating weight and into said housing means, said stem being mounted in said housing for rotation around and slidable to two positions along said axis, a pinion carried by said stein inside said housing, and a time setting train carried inside the housing connecting said time indicating wheels with said stem pinion.

2. In a self-winding watch, the combination of a watch movement comprising a barrel, a balance wheel, time indicating wheels, and a driving train including an escape gear and a sweep seconds gear coaxial with the time indi cating wheels, an oscillating weight, a winding train of gears controlled by said oscillating weight, and operatively connected with the barrel, a housing including a pillar plate, upper and lower bridges between which the gears of the winding train are revolvably carried, means for connecting said bridges with each other, said oscillating Weight disposed extending over said pillar plate, said escape gear and sweep seconds gear disposed between said lower bridge of the housing and the pillar plate, a time setting stem extending perpendicularly to the movement along the axis of the oscillating weight and into the housing means, said stern being mounted in said housing for rotation around and slidable to two positions along said axis, a pinion carried by said stern inside said housing, and a time setting train carried inside the housing connecting said time indicating wheels with said stern pinion whereby said winding train and oscillating weight from a single interchangeable unit which facilitates overhauling and repair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A SELF-WINDING WATCH, AN IMPROVED COMBINATION OF A WATCH MOVEMENT COMPRISING A BARREL, A BALANCE WHEEL, TIME INDICATING WHEELS AND A DRIVING TRAIN INCLUDING AN ESCAPE GEAR AND A SWEEP SECONDS GEAR COAXIAL WITH THE TIME INDICATING WHEELS, AN OSCILLATING WEIGHT, A WINDING TRAIN OF GEARS CONTROLLED BY SAID OSCILLATING WEIGHT AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE BARREL, AND HOUSING MEANS INCLUDING A PILLAR PLATE AND BRIDGES, IN WHICH SAID MOVEMENT IS CARRIED, AND OVER WHICH THE OSCILLATING WEIGHT EXTENDS, SAID BRIDGES BEING VARIOUSLY SPACED ABOVE THE PILLAR PLATE AND REMOVABLY SECURED THERETO, A TIME SETTING STEM EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO, AND INDEPENDENTLY OF, THE WATCH MOVEMENT ALONG THE AXIS OF THE OSCILLATING WEIGHT AND INTO SAID HOUSING MEANS, SAID STEM BEING MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION AROUND AND SLIDABLE TO TWO POSITIONS ALONG SAID AXIS, A PINION CARRIED BY SAID STEM INSIDE SAID HOUSING, AND A TIME SETTING TRAIN CARRIED INSIDE THE HOUSING CONNECTING SAID TIME INDICATING WHEELS WITH SAID STEM PINION. 